Harry Potter: Broken Beyond Repair
by 1998Babywriter
Summary: So what if Harry had been expelled from Hogwarts and been sent back to his neglectful aunt and uncle? Wallowing in despair and trying to regain some normality in his life becomes a lot harder than expected. Scarred and lonely throw in some abuse, kissing, sex a well kept secret and plenty of pain and his life becomes an unpredictable nightmare. Can he hold on long enough to escape?
1. Chapter 1

Harry Potter: Broken Beyond Repair

Chapter 1: The Way It Was and Always Will Be

Harry Potter was no ordinary boy of fifteen. He was far from it. Five years ago he'd learned he was a wizard who possessed magical abilities. He'd been attending Hogwarts ever since. A magical boarding school set against the beautiful Scottish landscape and overlooking the vast black lake. There he had two of the world's most loyal friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. Hermione was exceptionally bright, top of the year and talented beyond her years. Ron was not bright, but his sense of humour and loyalty more than made up for it. He was also friends with Ron's twin brothers, Fred and George who were two years older and had left Hogwarts. And their younger sister, who was in the year below, Ginny. He got on with their parents, molly and Arthur weasley, who treated him like their son despite having six sons and one daughter of their own. They were his family, the only true family he'd ever known.

Harry had no real family of his own. His parents were long dead. James and Lily Potter, his parents had been killed by Lord Voldemort when he had come to kill him. They'd sacrificed themselves for him so he could live. It was still unknown exactly how he'd survived the killing curse Voldemort had used to kill them, as no spells, curses or jinxes rebounded or stopped it. It was because of this tragic night he was famous in the wizarding world. He was the 'Boy Who Lived'. Because of this he'd been sent to live, actually left on the doorstep, with his only living relatives, Petunia, Vernon and Dudley Dursley. And ever since he could remember he hated them, he despised them. And they in turn absolutely despised him. Vernon Dursley his uncle by marriage, hated him the most though. He had always given the verbal thrashings when he had been a child, always been the one to administer the punishments and always been the one to lock him up. Aunt Petunia had verbally abused him on occasions, mostly when they had guests coming and she wanted him to be nowhere in sight or when she wanted him to clean up after everyone else after dinner even when he hadn't been allowed to eat anything. Dudley, his cousin, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon's son, was vile. He always had been. And he was dangerously overweight, he always had been that too. He enjoyed hurting him, especially when they had been younger though he wasn't quite so bad now as they didn't see much of each other.

But uncle Vernon's treatment of him was the worst. It was like living through a prison sentence in Alcatraz. When Harry had been younger he'd verbally abused him to the absolute extremes, often reducing him to tears, especially when he'd been very young. But it wasn't just the verbal abuse Uncle Vernon had used on him, occasionally it had been his hand and once his foot. He only hit him a few times but that didn't make it right, it had steadily increased as the years had slowly passed. Just like the neglect he had been subject to all his life, at their hands. They'd often starved him for days on the end, the longest being a week, only giving him two cups of water in that time which he had carefully savoured. They'd never really bought him clothes of his own, the only thing they'd ever bought for him had been school trousers because Aunt Petunia had caved because she could not adjust Dudley's anymore. Everything else he had ever worn had belonged to Dudley. At Christmas he'd remembered watching from his cupboard under the stairs, the place he had slept for ten years, as Dudley excitedly ripped open his presents, which took ages because there were always so many of them, feeling so left out and slightly jealous. Then once Dudley had, or sometimes while, opened his presents they'd made him cook for them but not let him actually have any of his own. Christmas lunch had been the same, the tiniest portions. But he'd never complained because if he did it would be verbal abuse and no food whatsoever. And they always forgot his birthday so he got nothing from them, while Dudley, on his birthdays got a shed load of presents. But again he'd never complained.

Uncle Vernon was of course oblivious of the effects it could have on him, such a young boy being whacked around, verbally abused and totally neglected. The scars and psychological problems it could lead to were numerous. But now Harry was fifteen years old, he wasn't that defenceless little boy anymore. He wasn't going to be pushed around, he had his own mind and he had bigger fish than uncle Vernon. He was determined. He'd sworn to himself somewhere during his fourth year that once he got back to the dursleys he wasn't going to be pushed around anymore, especially by uncle Vernon. He was going to really stand up to him and show him what he was made of, tough stuff. Uncle Vernon couldn't see that it would take so much to break him and that's why he didn't relent.

But things never turned out the way he planned or determined. Because just a few weeks into the holidays he'd ended up being attacked by dementors and hauled in from of the wizengamot on trial for illegally using magic (he was underage). And the result had been devastating for him, they'd found him guilty and subsequently expelled him. And uncle Vernon was been livid, with him. This was going to be the start of hell.

Arthur Weasley had just left. Harry stood in the hall at the foot of the steps watching the door close behind him. His eyes fell to the floor, he knew he was in for it. Uncle Vernon had already ordered him to lock his trunk in the cupboard under the stairs, which he had done. He looked up at Uncle Vernon, his face was full of rage. "WHY DID YOU DO IT BOY?" He exploded.

"I… I" he stammered "I did it to protect Dudley" well it was basically true.

"YOU DID IT SO YOU WOULD BE EXPELLED AND STAY HERE TO MAKE OUR LIVES TRUE HELL!" Roared Uncle Vernon

"Why would I do something that would get me expelled on purpose?" Harry asked genuinely, it wasn't even being sarcastic with this. He didn't have the energy for it or the wit right now, he was wallowing in despair having been expelled from Hogwarts. "I love Hogwarts, it's my home. I would never do something that would get me deliberately expelled"

"DON'T BE SMART WITH ME BOY!" uncle Vernon thundered

"I'm not" said Harry "Why would I want to stay here and be abused and neglected like I have been all my life?"

This was the wrong thing for him to have said because Uncle Vernon exploded with rage. The next thing Harry knew was that his left cheek was searing with pain. Uncle Vernon had slapped him. It wasn't the first time, but it really stung. Harry so wanted to retaliate and slap him back but then he would just get another so he said. "This is why I would never do anything that would deliberately get me expelled" he said simply.

"YOU ARE AN UNGRATEFUL SOD!" Roared Uncle Vernon before slapping him again. This time even harder.

"I'm not" Harry looked at the floor. All his life he'd been subjected to this, never complained and yet he was called ungrateful.

"DON'T BACKCHAT ME!" Roared uncle Vernon. He hit him again, this time hard enough to knock him to the ground. Then he leaned down and yanked him to his feet by the scruff of his shirt. Using this he dragged him upstairs while Harry did not protest knowing, horrifyingly and somewhat tragically, it would only make him worse. He dragged him inside his room and slung him to the floor. "Give me your wand" he ordered

"No" Harry refused. He wasn't giving this up, not now, not ever. It was one of the things he had to connect him with the wizarding world.

"Give it to me now!" he screeched

"No" Harry shook his head

"GIVE IT TO ME!" He roared. Harry refused again so Uncle Vernon launched at him not giving him enough time to get out of the way and pinned him to the floor. Pinning him down by exerting all his weight on him he wrestled the wand from Harry's jeans and held it in his hand. "You're not having this back as long as you're under my roof!" he raged. He pulled himself off Harry and stood at his full height glaring down at Harry. He was mad, madder than ever.

He stormed from the room pulling the door shut behind him and locking the door, using both locks. He was locked in. Frustrated he kicked the wardrobe before resting down on his bed and staring aimlessly at the floor. His life had changed, he was going to be in for hell with Uncle Vernon. How the hell was he going to do this?

The following afternoon Uncle Vernon put several more locks on the door, four meaning there were six locks on that door. So when uncle Vernon wanted to lock him away he would be sure he wouldn't be able to get out and escape. After he'd finished he locked him inside and told him he hadn't decided when he would be allowed to eat again or when he was going to let him out.

The days slid by slowly and survived on water that was pushed under the cat flap once a day, by surprisingly, Dudley. Finally after five days he was allowed out again but the portion they gave him was minuscule compared to his cousin. But once again he did not complain because he knew he would get a beating, he did not want another one and he didn't want to be locked up again.

However they insisted he stay in his room or out of the house altogether. He kept to this and out of their way altogether. The only time he saw them was at mealtimes. And when they made him do all the washing up and putting everything away. So far he'd kept on their good side and not given uncle Vernon reason to knock him around. But then it all changed.

Uncle Vernon's parents came to visit for the day. Uncle Vernon made it clear what he wanted from Harry. "My parents are coming to dinner and they are very high class people. They do not like scruff like you. You are to get in the shower and have a bloody good scrub boy and put your best clothes on. You are to brush your hair properly and make it look respectable and presentable. You are not to mention your school" he said those last words with such disgust in his voice "If you do you won't know what's hit you boy."

"Yes I will" harry said unwisely "You"

"Don't test me. I promise you it will make last time look like nothing. I will give you such a seeing to that you'll make you regret the day you were born I am clear boy?"

"Yes Uncle Vernon" replied Harry

"Now get upstairs and make yourself look half respectable." He spat. Harry didn't hesitate before heading upstairs and doing exactly what his uncle had told him to do. He had a long, hot shower and par his uncle's request gave himself a 'bloody good scrub'. Then he dressed in his best jeans and shirt. Then he picked up Dudley's brush from his room, as his was locked in his trunk unfortunately. And brushed his hair vigorously trying to get it to stay in place but it seemed to have a mind of its own as it kept bouncing back up. He tried to style it but gave up. He put the brush back where he had found it as Uncle Vernon's voice yelled up to him. "COME DOWN HERE BOY AND HELP YOUR AUNT"

He went straight downstairs. Uncle Vernon eyed him then spat "I told you to sort your hair out"

"I tried" he replied

"Well try so more" he hissed "Now I want you to set the table"

Harry obeyed and started setting the table. He placed mats, cutlery and glasses on the table which was covered by a pristine white tablecloth. "Be careful with those" snapped Aunt Petunia "Those are my best glasses"

"Yes Aunt Petunia" he replied carefully placing the glass on the table. He finished up and went back upstairs to try and tame his hair again. But once again failed miserably.

It wasn't too long before the doorbell rang. He heard voices then Uncle Vernon shouted up to him to come down and greet his parents. He did so. "Hello Mr and Mrs Dursley" he said politely

"Hello Harry" smiled Mrs Dursley. She was a very pleasant woman, she was actually quite fond of him. He remembered her ruffling his hair when he'd been little and her talking to him. "Looking well"

"And you" he nodded.

"Ah Harry" said Mr Dursley. He was just like uncle Vernon, he didn't like him much but nowhere near as much as his son. "You've grown boy" but this is where his pleasantness ended "Your hair is a right mess boy. You look like you've been dragged through a hedge backwards. Don't you ever brush it?"

"Yes Mr Dursley. It's just very untameable" replied Harry. He saw uncle Vernon's face twist with rage. So he stopped talking.

"Where's that grandson of ours?" asked Mrs Dursley

"In the living room" smiled Uncle Vernon. They went through and she smothered Dudley, who was far more interested in the TV, with kisses. This made Harry cringe. Uncle Vernon turned his head in his direction and glowered viciously at him. He was going to be in for it later.

Dinner went smoothly and par his Uncle's request he kept quiet and only spoke when he was spoken to, which was hardly ever. After dinner Uncle Vernon made him clear the table up, wash and put everything away. He stacked the plates up into groups of three and carried them over towards the counter. As he did Dudley came thundering into the kitchen and knocked into him. He lost his balance and the plates fell from his hands and smashed into tiny pieces on the floor. Uncle Vernon came into the kitchen red with fury. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE BOY?" He roared.

"It was an accident it was Dudley's fault for knocking into me" he replied

"LIES" Uncle Vernon spat. "CLEAN IT UP"

Harry obeyed and he left. He tided away the broken china and finished clearing up. Then once Mr and Mrs Dursley had left Uncle Vernon tore into him. "YOU RUINED OUR BEST CHINA!" He exploded

"I'm sorry" Harry apologised desperately "I didn't mean to"

But Uncle Vernon wasn't having any of it. He went for him again and slapped him as hard as he possibly could. But Harry didn't fall down. So he hit him again and again until finally he fell down. Once he was down Uncle Vernon kicked a couple of times as hard as he could, causing him a lot of pain. But nothing he hadn't felt before. Then he stopped kicking him and grabbed his hair and yanked him to his feet. "Come on boy!" he hissed "Stopped dragging your feet!"

"You're dragging me!" he retorted "Get off my hair!" he wrestled with him but he was too strong and tightened his grip on Harry's hair. He dragged him up the stairs stopping outside Harry's bedroom. He opened the door and pushed harry inside. Slightly disorientated Harry stumbled forward and smashed headfirst into the drawers before falling to the ground. He twisted over holding one of his hands to his forehead and looked up at his uncle. "You're insane" he said "Hasn't any ever told you that before?"

"Shut your mouth" the corpulent man hissed before slamming the door shut and locking the door. Locking harry in. He stared at the door for a few minutes holding his bleeding and aching forehead, trying to take in what had just happened. His uncle had launched a full attack on him for an accident that had half been caused by Dudley. Yet he knew Dudley wouldn't get hurt, he wouldn't lay a finger on him. He pulled himself to his feet and stumbled over to his bed. And collapsed on it. He could feel the blood trickling down his chin and dropping onto his shirt. But he didn't care. He lay awake unable to sleep because of the pain Uncle Vernon's beating had left him in.

By the next morning his bruises were in full bloom and the pain seemed to have doubled. It was agony. He desperately wanted to climb into a hot bath or shower and wash all of this blood away and relax, calm the aches in his body. But the door was still firmly locked and however much he yanked it and pushed on it, it didn't open. "Let me out!" he shouted banging on the door. "Let me out! You can't keep me locked up in here!"

Footsteps thundered up the stairs and headed in the direction of his bedroom. He flew back from the door and towards his bed. The door opened and uncle Vernon came in. "You are not going anywhere boy. You're staying in here until I say otherwise. Do I make myself clear?" harry blinked at him. He wasn't serious? Surely he wouldn't lock him up indefinitely? "DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"

"No" harry replied unwisely.

"HOW DARE YOU BACKCHAT ME?" He roared. "YOU'RE STAYING IN HERE UNTIL I SAY OTHERWISE. DO I MAKE MYSELF PERFECTLY CLEAR BOY?"

"Yes" Harry nodded.

"Good" uncle Vernon hissed before storming from the room locking the door behind him and locking harry in once more. He stared at the locked door dreading his indefinite imprisonment in his room. He had no idea how long his uncle intended to keep him locked up in there and the idea of staying in there indefinitely made him burn with anger and yearn for freedom at the same time.

Sometime later a bucket came through the cat flap and voice hissed "You pee in this. You are not leaving at all"

"Evil" harry hissed back taking the bucket. "You can't do this"

"We can and we are" the voice replied, the cold, empty voice of aunt petunia.

"If my mum knew about this" harry seethed to her "If she knew what her own sister was doing to her son. She'd never forgive you"

"Don't talk about your mother" aunt petunia snapped and he heard footsteps heading away from his bedroom door. He twisted round and rested against the bedroom door and closed his eyes taking a deep breath. Harry sunk deep into his memories, some happy, some painful and some simply unbearable to even relive. He thought back to his childhood, growing up with the Dursleys; the unhappiest time of his life. He thought about Dudley the big fat bully and his nasty friends and all of the times they had made his life a misery. He'd never been able to escape Dudley's bullying and as a result he'd made his life a misery. Then he thought about uncle Vernon the cold man who'd hated from the moment he'd arrived. He thought about all the times he'd put him down and resulted to physical abuse. Tears started to form in Harry's eyes. He thought about his aunt, aunt petunia the distant, blank woman who'd seen him as an untidy disgrace to the family and her perfect home. He thought about how she'd never accepted him and never allowed him to talk about his mother, her own sister, with her. Tears started to roll silently down Harry's cheeks. Looking back it suddenly seemed incredibly unfair that she denied him the chance to even talk about his own mother as a child. Well both she and uncle Vernon had prohibited the mention of Harry's parents in the house ever since he could remember. He'd asked about them but they'd always told him not to talk about them and eventually he'd taken the hint and given up asking about them. He'd done it for a quiet life in the end. His mind drifted to Hogwarts and his friends he'd had there, his family. It was all gone now, fading into a memory and he felt like he would never get any of it back. He felt like his whole life had been a complete and utter wibbly-wobbly ball of rubbish. He wondered when it was ever going to get better.

The days started to pass and harry became more and more frustrated with being locked up and more lonely and desperate to escape. Jars of water, pushed through the cat flap, kept him going and the mouldy ridden stale bread. He'd had to force that down. But then again when you're starving you'd eat absolutely anything to survive, to keep yourself alive.

One night the Dursleys had visitors and harry wondered if he could get one of their attentions maybe they'd help him get out of his room. He listened to them conversing until finally someone came up the stairs and someone spoke. "Who needs that many locks on one door?"

Harry's ears opened wide and he moved towards the door. The footsteps on the other side moved closer too and the person spoke again. "Seriously they must have the crown jewels in there with that many locks on the door. Or a dangerous prisoner"

"Hey get the keys and get me out of here" harry said

"What the hell!" the voice shrieked "Who's in there? And why are there so many locks on your door?"

"It doesn't matter. Just find the keys to those locks and get me out of here" harry replied

"How long have you been in there?" he asked.

"I don't know a week or something" said harry "I need to get out of here. I stink and it stinks in here. It's making me ill!"

"Seriously why are you locked in there?" the boy asked "Did you kill someone?"

"What? No!" harry replied feeling frustrated "I broke some plates. This is my punishment ok. He hasn't let me leave since it happened. The keys are probably in their bedroom. Just find them and let me out of here!"

"Ok" the boy agreed. He moved away and returned a few minutes later. "I couldn't find the keys. Sorry"

"Screw" harry hissed before kicking the door "You should probably go downstairs and pretend this never happened"

"Why?" the boy asked.

"You just should. I'm not going to be the reason he murders you!" harry replied. The boy laughed thinking he was joking. But harry wasn't. Footsteps headed away from his bedroom and down the stairs. Harry rested against the door and banged his head on the door in frustration. He was never going to escape.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Stonewall High, Friends and Sinking Ships

Finally after two weeks they finally let him out again. In those weeks he'd barely eaten, meaning his weight had steadily decreased. He was malnourished and dehydrated. He drank as much as he could but he could barely eat a thing. His bruises had mostly healed up but he had been going crazy. By now his friends would be heading back to Hogwarts. They'd be on the train about now heading back to Hogwarts. They'd soon be enjoying the start of term feast and watching the house sorting ceremony and listening to the sorting hat singing a new song. Then they'd start lessons in magical education again and there'd be quidditch try-outs and other things. Everything he was going to miss. His friends, his education, quidditch and just a place where he felt he did belong. How he longed to be with them.

Several days later uncle Vernon came into his bedroom, looking agitated. He thrust some money into his hands; he'd never done this before. Ever. Harry stared at the money not knowing what he should do with it. "Go to the second hand shop and get some school uniform" he spat "For stonewall high, that's where you're going tomorrow"

Then he left the room again, leaving Harry staring at the money he'd thrust into his hands. They'd never given him money to buy himself anything he needed before. They'd never bought him his own clothes or shoes, he'd always worn hand-me downs before. This was new to him. Eventually after staring at it for ten minutes he stuffed it into his pockets and pulled himself off his bed. He pulled his tatty baseball shoes on and reached for his favourite jumper. He left the room and headed downstairs. He could see aunt petunia tidying in the kitchen and Uncle Vernon watching the news in the living room. He pulled the front door open and left the house. He headed to the bus stop so he could get into town where the second hand shop was.

The only bus he'd ever been on before was the night bus, he'd never been on a muggle bus before so he wasn't sure how it worked. "I want to go into town" he said to the driver.

"Adult or child?" he asked.

"Child I think" he replied.

"That's 60p" the driver explained. He handed the driver sixty pence and he gave him a ticket. He found a seat and sat down. He stared out of the window, watching the world go by.

Once they reached the town he got off and went to find the second hand shop. He'd been there before, that's where any clothes that hadn't been Dudley's had come from, even this had been a rare occurrence. Once inside he looked around. The shop assistant seemed to notice and came over to him. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"Err… I'm looking for uniform" he said. "For stonewall high school. I'm starting there tomorrow"

"We have some of that over here" she smiled. She took him over to the corner of the shop where he noticed there was a range of uniforms for different schools. "I think this is what you're looking for" she gestured to a black blazer.

She left him to figure out what he needed. All of the blazers he tried on just seemed to hang off him. In the end he chose the smallest then picked up a tie, a jumper and some blue shirts. He took it over to the counter and paid for it.

After leaving the shop he saw he still had plenty of the money Uncle Vernon had given him, left. So he went into food shop and got a packet of biscuits and some crisps. He could store these under the floorboard in his room so when he was locked up he would have something to eat other than the stale bread he'd survived on last time.

After this he headed back to the bus stop and got on the bus to go home. Once home he gave the change to Uncle Vernon who begrudgingly, very begrudgingly thanked him. Then he headed upstairs and stored his biscuits and crisps under the loose floorboard.

He rested down on his bed and thought about tomorrow. He was dreading it more than he'd dreaded it age eleven before he'd known he was a wizard, before he'd known he'd be going to Hogwarts. He knew that his bullies went to school there and he still hated them as much as he had five years ago. He was used to boarding at school, having his best friends around all the time. He was used to learning about defensive spells, charms and how to brew potions not English, maths and science. He was used to sports like quidditch not football. He was used to drinking unusual drinks at school not plain old water and enjoying massive feasts not blobs of meat that tasted of nothing.

That night he didn't sleep well, enduring a flashback dream to the night cedric had died in the graveyard. After that he struggled to fall asleep again, spending several hours tossing and turning viciously before finally falling asleep.

The following day he started at stonewall high. Uncle Vernon was on a tight schedule and prepared to make him feel alone and pressured. He was woken by his uncle who burst through the door with such force it almost took the door off its hinges. "Get up!" he shouted "NOW!"

He jumped out of bed and flew into the bathroom to have a wash and brush his teeth. He even jumped in the shower because he'd been locked out of the bathroom because they considered him showering, when they were feeling particularly hateful, stealing from them. So after having a quick, hot shower he got out and went to get dressed. But uncle Vernon was already become agitated and therefore angry with him. "Hurry up boy!" he shouted up the stairs as harry dressed as quickly as he could. "I TOLD YOU. HURRY UP!"

"I'M COMING!" Harry yelled back. He was soon ready. He looked down at his new uniform and sighed. His blue shirt buttoned up almost to the top was itchy and loose, hanging off his shrinking frame. His black trousers held up by a thick black belt made his legs itch too and they didn't actually seem to be long enough so he fiddled with them and they came down a bit. His blue tie was tied loosely around his neck, it was faded and a bit smelly if he was honest. It was weird and somewhat uncomfortable compared to his Hogwarts robes, which were the comfiest things he had ever owned. He grabbed the black blazer off his bed and put it on and instantly hated it. "COME ON BOY!" Uncle Vernon yelled up to him. He wanted to take his tie off and use it to strangle uncle Vernon. Rolling his eyes and clenching his teeth he grabbed his school bag and made his way downstairs. Aunt petunia pushed a plate of toast towards him. "Eat that quickly. I am on a very tight schedule boy" uncle Vernon hissed.

"I know" Harry replied before shoving the toast into his mouth and eating it as quickly as he could. Soon he was done and uncle Vernon ushered him out of the house and to the car. "Do that shirt up properly and that tie right now" he hissed.

"Why?" he asked

"Because you look a mess" sneered aunt petunia "And sort your hair out!"

"Any more problems with my appearance?" he asked sarcastically.

"Get in the car" uncle Vernon hissed. As they drove along in silence Harry did his shirt up and tied his tie properly and fiddled about with his scruffy brown hair, which seemed to have a mind of its own.

Finally they pulled up. "Get out" said uncle Vernon "Behave yourself boy. I mean it. You know what you'll get if you don't. A bloody good seeing to."

Harry climbed out of the car taking in the threat uncle Vernon had just issued him and headed away from the car. He went through the gates and looked around. It was nothing like he was used to. The massive Hogwarts castle and the history it held. He didn't know where to go at all so he just stood there looking around looking completely dumbfounded. A girl came over to him. She had long flaming red hair, big brown eyes and big smile. "You ok?" she asked "You look totally lost in this place"

"What?" he frowned "Oh I'm new? This my first day and I don't know where I'm supposed to go"

"Right" she smiled. She studied his face then frowned as her eyes appeared to rest on his scar. "Interesting scar"

"Yeah" he nodded before fiddling with his hair so it covered his scar.

"Sorry. I'll take you to reception" she replied "Follow me"

"Ok" he shrugged before following towards the school.

"I'm Gabrielle, Gabrielle summers by the way" she said "I was the new girl in year eight. Don't worry it's not that bad. What's your name?"

"Harry" he replied "Harry potter."

She looked over her shoulder at him giving a look that he simply could not read. Something about it told him she was thinking something or was adding something up in her head, but he wasn't sure what. She lead him inside and over to reception. "This is Harry. He's new here"

"Ok" the receptionist smiled

"I better go. I'm meeting my friends" Gabrielle smiled "Nice meeting you though… maybe we could be friends…"

"Maybe" he nodded. She smiled before heading off. He turned back to the receptionist.

"What's your surname?" she asked

"Potter" he replied "Harry Potter. I'm in fifth year…"

"Do you mean year eleven?" she asked.

"I suppose" said Harry.

"Take a seat over there" she smiled. He nodded and rested down in one of the seats. A few minutes passed by and he took in his surroundings. Then a tall man with glasses very much like his own, with slicked back ginger hair walked over to him. He looked a bit like Ron actually. "I'm Mr Pryke; I'm going to be your form tutor. Follow me" Harry took his bag and followed Mr Pryke. "What did school did you go to before stonewall?"

"I've never been to high school before" replied harry

"You were home schooled?" asked Mr Pryke.

"Yes" harry shook his head "I am very socially awkward and I had a rough time at primary school with bullies that's all."

"Oh" said Mr Pryke "That is an interesting scar"

"Yes I suppose it is" Harry put his hand to his scar.

"How did you get it?" Mr Pryke asked cautiously.

"I got in the car crash my parents died in. I never knew them" he sighed moving his hair back over his lightning bolt scar.

"I am sorry to hear that" said Mr Pryke leading him into a classroom. He told harry to sit down before the rest of the class arrived. "Who are you?" asked one boy sitting down to him. He had scruffy black hair and was a bit taller than himself.

"Harry" he shrugged

"You must be new here?" he asked

"Yeah" harry nodded.

"How come?" he pried. But harry shook his head and declined to answer. He didn't really feel like talking to them, choosing to remain mute. They said hello and he did say hello and tell them his name but after that he refused further conversation.

Gabrielle turned out to be in his form 11PR and she sat on the table behind his with another girl who had shoulder length blonde hair, big blue eyes and a peach lips. "Hi again" Gabrielle smiled "See you got put in our form"

"Yeah" he nodded.

"It's the best form" she smirked "Mr Pryke is such a soft touch. I mean he lets you get away with all kinds of things"

The day slid by and he got on with it. It was ok for a muggle school but some of Dudley's pals attended there, Malcom, Dennis and Gordon for instance. However they didn't come near him once.

Gabrielle offered to show him around. It turned out they had the same first lesson. "Maths with Mr Fitzgerald" she said "That guy is such an idiot. All he does is snap and tell people off"

"Do you get told off a lot?" Harry asked her.

"Yes. He particularly hates me" she laughed "He thinks I'm a lazy, pain in the butt who never does any work and has severe bouts of verbal diarrhoea. He'll probably like you. You're not too talkative"

"One of the teachers at my last school really hated me" he shrugged "We never saw eye to eye."

"There's always one teacher that's a complete asshole" she replied as they lined up outside Mr Fitzgerald's classroom. He came out, he had black hair, piercing black eyes and cold smile. He reminded him of Snape. It made him wonder if he was like him. "When you go inside I want you to sit down in silence and get your books out in silence and wait for me to start."

"Yes sir" they all replied before filing in. He went to go inside but Mr Fitzgerald stopped him. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Harry Potter sir… I'm new" he replied. "It's my first day"

"I didn't know I had a boy joining my class" he said, with an irritated tone. "I'll fine you a book. Go in and find somewhere to sit. I advise you do not sit next to Miss Summers. She has a habit of distracting everybody"

"Ok sir" he nodded before going inside. He sat next her though because she was the only person he knew. Mr Fitzgerald gave him a disapproving look when he dropped a book for him at the table. Gabrielle gave him a quick glare and stuck her tongue out at him when he turned his back which made Harry laugh. "What are you laughing at?" Mr Fitzgerald snapped turning around giving him a furious look.

"Nothing sir" he replied.

"I told him a joke" said Gabrielle.

"Behave Miss Summers. It is the first day of term and already you are misbehaving." He hissed "Then again what else can I expect from you. You always have been a misbehaving layabout."

She glared angrily at him before he walked off. "See what I mean" she sighed resting her head in her hands. He nodded in agreement. She helped him with his work because he simply didn't understand it.

He got through the day ok and he sat with Gabrielle at lunchtime, her friends made an effort to talk to him. When he got home, as he'd expected, they didn't ask him about his day and only saw him for dinner before sending him up to bed.

The days slid by and people made an attempt to talk to him but he subtly refused. He just wanted to be at Hogwarts with Ron and Hermione. That was his home that was where he belonged.

Finally when the Dursleys were out he sneaked to his cupboard and found his wand and broomstick. He needed money, to live off; for the essentials, clothes and food. Taking it into the garden he made sure no one saw him before mounting and kicking off the ground. He flew to London and found a safe place to land. Not wanting to be recognised he pulled his hood over his head and pulled the string tight to conceal his face. He went through the leaky cauldron and through to Diagon Alley, the Wizarding Street. He went to gringotts and asked to exchange his money to muggle money, which the goblins did quickly and with great efficiency. He found his way again, found a safe place mounted his broom and kicked off. He flew back to surrey and was home before the Dursleys. He put his broom back and headed upstairs, stashing his wand under the lose floorboard for the time being.

On Monday he got himself some lunch but struggled to eat it so he sat there picking at it. Gabrielle, who he was sitting with, noticed. "Are you ok?" she asked

"Yeah fine" he nodded

"You seem to be struggling with that" she said

"I'm not just feeling hungry now" he replied

"Ok" she nodded "How's your first week been?"

"Yeah…ok" he said

"Good to hear that, mine sucked to be honest. I just lied to make you feel better. By the way these are my friends" she smiled "Georgie, Bobby, Patterson and Kyle. I know three boys. So why'd you come here"

"I just moved here" he replied, lying through his back teeth "with my family"

"Nice. Nice family?" the other girl, Georgie, asked looking at him with big blue eyes.

He didn't know what to say. Of course they weren't nice. They'd spent the whole summer locking him up, starving him and beating him. "I live with my aunt and uncle. They're ok I guess. It could be worse."

"How come?" Georgie asked. He gave her a look which told her he didn't want to talk to about it so she stopped talking, gave him a small smile and turned away. It was the first time someone had smiled at him in a very long time.

Harry looked at his plate and sighed. It could be worse but he knew it was worse than he had just said it to be. He was being abused after all; treated like he wasn't human. And he had to hide the fact and get on with it. He stared at his food and felt sick; he'd barely eaten a thing in the last few weeks. Knowing he wouldn't be able to eat it he got up and chucked the food away. Such a waste of his money he knew he'd need to survive living with the Dursleys.

Over the next few days he talked to Gabrielle and her friends and they quickly became friends. He would hang around with them at break times and they would talk, have a good laugh. He got on very well with flaming ginger haired and trouble making extraordinaire Gabrielle.

But while his school life was good, his home life was anything but good. It was going from bad to worse. Uncle Vernon was still hitting him but in places people wouldn't see them. Days after starting there Uncle Vernon gave him a black eye, not very large but not quite as painless. He easily lied it away, he had gotten out of bed without his glasses on and walked straight into something.

Bruises on his arms were frequently appearing, from being grabbed and hit and people noticed, especially in P.E. his least favourite subject. He lied them away, walking around without his glasses, fighting with his cousin (who wasn't even in surrey), P.E. lessons and other excuses. He was desperately trying to conceal the abuse but it just didn't work.

Then a couple of weeks after making friends with Georgie, Gabrielle, Bobby, Patterson and Kyle they went to park after school and stayed out very late. They'd gotten a couple of pizzas and Patterson had smuggled some beers from home and they chilled out at the park. Time got away from them and by the time they left the park it was nearly midnight. Upon leaving the park they split. Kyle, bobby and Patterson headed off one way whilst he, Georgie and Gabrielle headed another way. They walked down the dark, desolate streets which were eerily silent. "Fuck why did we leave so late?" Georgie hissed "Its pitch black out. Someone might be freaking lurking ready to kill us!"

"Oh calm down" said Gabrielle. Harry looked at them, well at their barely visible outlines. Someone was probably lurking ready to kill him. But he tried not to think about that possibility. "You're such a scaredy cat"

"Oh and you're fearless superwoman!" Georgie scolded back

"Well now you mention it" replied Gabrielle.

"This your fault" said Georgie "I told everyone we should leave ages ago but you're like no fuck it let's stay out well late and get drunk"

"You could've gone" said Gabrielle "No you couldn't you didn't want to walk home on your own"

"Not true" said Georgie sulkily

"It is" Gabrielle laughed slightly "Hey do you think someone's taken harry he's gone all quiet"

"He never talks anyway" replied Georgie

"Hey" harry piped up "I do talk"

"Oh thank god I thought someone had kidnapped you!" said Gabrielle "Owh Georgie that hurt"

"You asked for it" she replied "Seriously you're going to lead him astray"

"That is very insulting" stated Gabrielle "Just because I like to mess about and get myself into a little bit of trouble does not mean I will lead anyone astray"

"When he first showed up he was as quiet as a mouse" Georgie exclaimed "He didn't talk to people. Then I introduced myself and he met you and he follows your lead half the time"

"I can hear you" said harry "I'm not deaf and I don't need anyone to lead me astray thanks. I'm good enough at getting myself into trouble. I did at my last school. I was expelled…"

"You were expelled from your last school?" Georgie asked "What did you do?"

"I broke the rules… a lot" he replied quickly fabricating a story out of what had happened "It was fun and then I supposedly told a lot of lies about things that couldn't possibly have happened to everyone so they had me expelled. Probably to make an example of me or just because they hated me. This is what we do to liars and people who repeatedly break all of the rules. I didn't think it was fair. It deeply shamed my aunt and uncle. So much so they had to move away"

"I cannot get my head round the fact that you were expelled" said Gabrielle "I mean you behave better than Kyle and Patterson, bobby's pretty well behaved. You must have had a behaviour transplant"

"No my aunt and uncle sat me down and said if didn't behave at this school they were sending me to a boarding school for hopeless cases and I'd rather not go there" he lied, this was getting easier. "I was expelled from a school before that for being a trouble maker"

"So this is like your last chance?" asked Gabrielle

"Yeah I guess" he sighed "My uncle can be a bit short tempered with me. I mean he has a son with my aunt and he is worse than me. A lot worse. He is a bully and when we were in primary school he and his friends bullied me every single day for six years. He never behaved either. Yet he's never been expelled and my uncle has never threatened him with a boarding school for hopeless cases. I guess that's the way it goes"

"No that's sods law" said Gabrielle "I would like to meet him and see what he's like"

"He's like a Yorkshire pudding. He eats his weight everyday" harry laughed "My aunt lets him stuff his face"

"And yet you're as skinny as a twig" said Georgie

"Yeah well I don't stuff my face" said harry "Or eat very often at all." He thought to himself. "He goes to boarding school so at least I don't have to deal with him all the time."

"Lucky. I have two brothers and two little sisters who drive me nuts. I wish mum would send them or me to boarding school" said Georgie

"My brothers are alright most of the time. But my little brother can be such a shit bag sometimes" said Gabrielle "He hogs everything. I wish they'd send him away or get him help for his hogging problem… this is my road bye and don't get lost. Again"

"Fuck you" Georgie hissed before Gabrielle disappeared down her road. "She winds me up on purpose"

"That is probably the point" said harry

"Shut up harry" she replied "You're not helping. You shouldn't let her lead you astray"

"I don't care" he shrugged "Trouble making runs in my family. I think my dad was a bit of trouble maker when he was at school. Well he was according to people I've met. They say I have his knack for trouble but my mother's heart. She was kind and apparently she passed it on to me. This is according to their friends that I've met because I never knew them."

"Oh you've never said before" she replied quietly "This your turn off"

"Oh yeah… I'll see you tomorrow" he yawned "Night"

"Night" she replied before disappearing into the darkness. He headed down the road and the roads that followed it before reaching number four.

When harry got home he let himself in with his key. Only to find his uncle sitting at the bottom of the stairs waiting for him. He stood up and exploded with anger "WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN BOY!"

"At the park" he replied

"IT'S GONE MIDNIGT!" He roared "I WILL NOT HAVE YOU WANDER INTO MY HOME AT THIS TIME OF NIGHT"

"Why you don't about care me, you'd rather I stayed out and got killed by some thug" he replied spitefully, even though it felt true.

"YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE SOD!" he exploded grabbing Harry's shirt and slamming him up against the wall. "You listen to me boy. I let you live here be grateful"

"I should be grateful for the beatings should I?" retorted Harry. The next Harry knew he was flying face first towards the wall opposite. He landed in a heap on the floor, blood trickling down his face from a deep gash on his forehead. "I should be grateful for the verbal abuse should I?"

Uncle Vernon kicked him in the face with his foot, directly hitting Harry's nose, making it bleed. "I should be grateful that you neglect me?" said Harry pulling himself to his feet and looking uncle Vernon directly in the eyes. "I should be grateful that you starve me to the point I can barely eat anything anymore?"

Uncle Vernon's fat fist flew at his face and landed in Harry's dented left cheek. But harry did not fall he remained standing. Uncle Vernon threw several more sturdy punches at the teenager who stood still and took them. Took punches to the face and abdomen and did not complain once. For this boy was used to pain.

Finally Uncle Vernon stopped and stormed upstairs. Harry heard their bedroom door slam shut and he sunk down on the step. He hunched his knees up underneath his chin and stared aimlessly at the floor. He was just a punch bag for Uncle Vernon.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Invisible Truth

Harry Potter slowly pulled himself to bed and carefully peeled his clothes off, his shirt now covered in his blood. His torso was covered in blossoming bruises and he was in agony. But he was used to pain. At fifteen he shouldn't have been used to it, but he was. He found it hard to fall asleep, remaining awake most of the night.

He couldn't bear the thought of going to school looking like he'd gone ten rounds with a professional boxer. He was covered in bruises from his uncle's violent beating. But if he didn't go he'd just get another one. It was a lose-lose situation. In pain, he dressed for school, not allowed breakfast he left the house and took the forty five minute walk to school. He should've gotten the bus but he was saving his money for things like stocking food for future imprisonments and getting lunch at school. He was slowly, very slowly, getting his appetite back and was able to eat more again. But he was still underweight for his age and height.

When he got to school he saw Georgie and Patterson at the gate, probably waiting for bobby and Kyle to show up. "Hey Harry!" Georgie called out "Come over and join us"

He shook his head, he didn't want them to see his bruises. He quickly hurried inside to his form room and took his seat. But soon as he did everyone stared at him. The girl who sat opposite him, Gabrielle who was friends with Georgie but had come in early today, had her mouth hanging wide open in an 'o' shape. "What happened to you?" she asked finally.

"Nothing" he dismissed her

"You've got a black eye, and a split lip" she said "That's not nothing. Did you get into a fight?"

"Something like that yeah" he replied. She looked at him kind of sympathetically before looking away and talking to her boyfriend, whose name was Zane. He looked at Gabrielle closely. She had very long ginger hair that tumbled all the way down her back past her waist and round face. She had very peachy skin and soft. For some reason she reminded him of his mum. Of course Gabrielle had brown eyes not green eyes.

At lunch time Georgie and the others finally found him hiding up a tree he had climbed to escape people gawping at his bruised face. Georgie climbed up first followed by Patterson while the other two stayed down on the ground to look out for teachers. "What happened? Did you get attacked on the way home last night?" asked Georgie

"Yeah, something like that. This guy jumped me and roughed me up a bit but I'm fine" he replied

"You don't look it, you've got a massive black eye." She sighed

"You think this is bad you should see my stomach" he thought to himself. "Seriously I'm fine Georgie"

"You should call the police" she insisted

"No I didn't get a good look at him, it was dark" said Harry, keeping up with his lie. He did want to tell her but he barely knew her and he didn't want her to think he was weak. He'd fought of lord Voldemort yet he'd let a muggle beat him up. Again. "Look it was nothing. I'll get over it" but deep down he knew he would never get over it. Not truly. Yes he could put it to the back of his mind but it would always stay with him. This was his childhood, beaten and neglected.

"Ok" Georgie caved. "Harry I'm curious, what did happen to your parents?"

"They were killed… in a car crash" he replied, trying to make it sound like he was telling her the truth when really he was just lying through his back teeth to her. "When I was a baby. I don't know how I survived. I never really knew them"

"Oh I'm so sorry" she sympathetically. They remained up the tree until the bell rang for class and they headed inside.

As the days passed the bruises faded but the scars remained. The deep psychological scars. But he was Harry Potter, so he carried on and insisted everything was fine. That he was fine. When really he wasn't that fine at all.

It wasn't too long before another beating was thrown his way. This one over him wanting to go on an educational school trip for English. But Uncle Vernon was having none of it. "But Uncle Vernon everyone is going. It's for our coursework"

"You're not going" he spat "I'm not paying for it"

"Please" Harry begged but it wasn't getting him anywhere. "It's free"

"NO!" Roared Uncle Vernon before standing up and shoving Harry to the floor. Harry looked up at him and felt such a hatred burning inside his body. Uncle Vernon stamped on him more than several times, like he was a trampoline. "Stop!" Harry cried suddenly, he'd really had enough. It was agony. "Please stop!"

Uncle Vernon did stop but then went onto rant about how ungrateful Harry was and always had been. When he finally stopped Harry fled to his room and shut himself inside. He collapsed on his bed and again found himself staring at the floor. He pulled the lose floorboard up and pulled out his photo album. He opened the first page and looked at the picture of him with his parents. He looked at his parents smiling faces and his heart ached for them, then he looked at himself. He hadn't smiled that much in years. "What do I do mum and dad?" he sighed "How do I make him stop?"

He sat staring at the picture for a long time before putting it back under the lose floorboard and lying down on his bed. He stared up at the ceiling. He didn't even bother getting up to go down for some food. He just wasn't hungry and anyway his stomach was still cramping painfully from uncle Vernon stamping on it. Instead he slowly dropped off to sleep but his dreams turned into nightmares and he went back to the graveyard with Voldemort and woke up sweat-drenched and shaking violently. He couldn't get back to sleep after that so he laid awake until dawn when he got up and headed to school.

He thought he'd be able to hide this beating from everyone but he failed. He had P.E and when he got changed Patterson, bobby and Kyle saw them. He got changed as quickly as he could but they still saw them and asked about them. "Harry what happened?" asked Patterson

"Nothing" replied Harry "I fell over that's all"

"Yes and I'm a real life wizard" said Kyle

"I am" thought Harry "That's what happened. I fell over, halfway down the stairs ok"

"Yes and I'm God" said Patterson

"That's how it happened!" lied Harry before hurrying from the changing rooms and out onto the field.

They played football and everyone, including him scraped for the ball and everyone was knocking into everyone. Which when you think you may have a couple of broken ribs and are covered in bruises isn't a good thing.

At lunch Georgie asked him about them but he dismissed her too. He told her what he'd told the others, that he tripped and fallen halfway down the stairs. He couldn't tell if she believed him or not. He didn't want them to know yet.

The following Tuesday it was the school trip. Everybody else was going except him. Because his uncle wouldn't let him go. It was like he was back in his third year at Hogwarts when they'd been allowed to go to Hogsmeade. Everyone else had been able to go but he had because he didn't have a parent or guardians permission to go. This had something to do with the fact he'd blown his aunt up during dinner when she'd insulted his dead parents. She'd called his father a lazy, unemployed alcoholic and stated there was something wrong with his mother. It had undoubtedly infuriated him to the point he'd lost control and blown her up like a balloon before fleeing the house.

As the bell rang for break Gabrielle, Georgie, Kyle, bobby and Patterson packed their things into their bags. "We have to go wait in the playground" Kyle said to the others.

"Yeah" said Georgie. Harry stared at the floor, burning with jealousy and hatred for his uncle. It was so humiliating to be the only one who wasn't going in his entire year.

He walked with them to the playground. "Maybe we can sneak harry on the coach" suggested Gabrielle.

"Do want to be excluded?" asked Georgie. "I thought you'd learnt your lesson after you were excluded for punching Dwayne Wright"

"He was asking for it" she shrugged "I have no regrets over that. I guess we better not. Sorry"

"It doesn't matter" he replied. "I'll just bunk off and go to the park"

"No you won't young man" said Mr Pryke coming up behind him "You'll go back inside with Miss Fosterman and do what she tells you"

"Yes sir" he nodded. Gabrielle smiled at him before Mr Pryke ushered her onto the coach with a disgruntled growl.

Gabrielle waved to him as the coach pulled off. Faking a smile he waved back until the coach had turned out of the school playground and out of sight. "Come on harry" said Miss Fosterman "I've got some things for you to do whilst your classmates are on this school trip."

He sighed loudly and followed her inside the school. They went to her classroom and she told him to sit down at any desk he wanted. So he chose the desk right in the corner and slouched himself over the desk, resting his arms in his arms. "Harry" said Miss Fosterman "I've got some maths for you do from your maths teacher, Mr Fitzgerald"

She came over and placed some papers on his desk. "Just do what you can" she smiled slightly. He nodded and she moved back over to her desk. He looked down at the paper. The title read: _Basic Multiplication and division._ "Oh great" he mumbled "I'm rubbish at this"

He attempted the questions for a while before giving up and slouching in his chair. He drifted into a daydream about being at Hogwarts. He was rudely jolted from his daydream by Miss Fosterman. "Harry it's lunchtime" she said "Just hand me your work on the way out"

He stuffed his things into his bag and stood up. He kicked the chair back under table, picked up his work and headed over to Miss Fosterman's desk. He dropped his work on her desk and went to leave but she stopped him. "What's this?" she asked pointing to title next to which he had written for idiots so that it now read: _Basic Multiplication and Division for idiots._

"Basic Multiplication and Division for idiots" he replied smartly

"Mr Fitzgerald will go crazy when he sees this!" she exclaimed rolling her eyes "Do you want to be in detention?!"

"No of course not" he shook his head.

"Scribbled that out then" she said handing him a pen. He took it and scribbled over the 'for idiots' before heading off for lunch.

He spent the afternoon kicking back in Miss Fosterman's History classes. She'd given him some more work but he'd finished that quickly so she'd told him to just sit quietly in the corner. But the children in her year seven class were more interested in talking to the year eleven than doing their work. "Did you get into trouble?" one asked eagerly "Did you punch someone? I did once!"

"No I didn't punch anyone" he laughed slightly "Everyone else in my year went on a school trip. I couldn't go."

"Did you trash school stuff?" another asked.

"No" he shook his head "I just didn't get permission to go"

"Sucks" said the first.

"Yeah it does" harry sighed "It sucks a lot".

"Boys!" Miss Fosterman exclaimed "Turn around, leave Harry alone and get on with your work"

The boys sighed and turned around. He rested his head in his hand and sighed deeply. He picked up his pen, flipped his English book open and started scribbling messages of hate against his uncle in it. Miss Fosterman started walking around the room and walked by him then she stopped and turned around and walked back. She looked down at his English book and examined the messages of hate in it. She picked it up and studied it. "Stand up and come with me" she instructed. He followed her out of the classroom where she started talking. "What is this?"

"Doodles" he replied

"These are not doodles. They're psychotic ramblings" she said firmly "'I wish you would die! Or 'I'll make you regret what you did to me!' or 'I'll hurt you until you're dying in agony!'"

"Just ramblings" he shrugged

"Whose this meant to be?" she asked pointing to a drawing of round, fat man with a small head and big bushy moustache who was shaking a clenched fist.

"My uncle" he replied.

"And this?" she pointed to a skinny figure with Harry's scar, round glasses and who was pointing something in the direction of uncle Vernon.

"Me" he shrugged.

"This looks like a knife" she said pointing to the object pointed in uncle Vernon's direction.

"No it's not a knife" he shook his head, it was his wand. "It's a stick. I'm poking him with it"

"What does this mean?" she asked pointing to the words Aveda Kedevra written in a speech bubble his head.

"I made those words up" he lied, trying not to smirk. He was directing the killing curse at his uncle in that doodle.

"Are these messages of hate are directed at your uncle?" she asked

"Yes. Because he is not a nice man" harry responded aimlessly. "We just don't see eye to eye. About anything. At all."

"Right" she said unconvinced. "Try not to draw any more of these or I will take this up with the deputy head. This is highly disturbing"

"Is it?" he asked.

"Yes it is" she nodded, looking astounded that he didn't understand that what he'd drawn was disturbing. "Do you not understand that?"

"No" he shook his head. "I was only drawing my feelings."

"If these are your feelings you need to see a counsellor" she replied. "Urgently. Have you ever drawn anything like this before?"

"No" Harry looked at her not understanding her concerns about what he'd drawn. "I was bored"

"Yes I'm sure you were" she said "But this, this came from somewhere else. You are directing messages to your Uncle that you want him to die. What would possess you to draw this?"

"You wouldn't understand" he looked down. "We just don't like each other. He hates me, I hate him. That's how it is, how it's always been. Will be to one of us dies."

"Ok" she nodded. "Go back inside and rip that page out. Just try not to do any more of those"

"Ok" he agreed before going back inside.

After the final lesson he went to the playground and waited for the coach to return. It returned not long after and he went over to it. Gabrielle and Georgie came off together and smiled at him. Georgie headed off and Gabrielle came over to him. "How's it been?"

"Alright I guess" he shrugged "Miss Fosterman told me off for drawing psychotic doodles and said what I'd written was a bunch of psychotic ramblings"

"Why what did you write?" she asked.

"It doesn't matter" he said "But I drew my Uncle and made some remarks about him that she thought were highly disturbing."

"Oh" she smiled slightly "Hang on… highly disturbing. She thought they were that bad?"

"Yes" he nodded. "How was the trip?"

"Boring as hell" she sighed "The guy talked for three hours straight. I almost fell asleep but Mrs Tremaine shouted at me to wake up and pay attention. I got through two bottles of water while that man was droning on and on and Mr Pryke wouldn't let me go to the toilet. By the time we left I was dying for a piss and had almost wet myself. I had to run to the toilet and pray that I didn't piss myself on the way. I only just got there on time"

"At least you got to go" he sighed.

"Yeah. But that guy could've put me to sleep he was so boring" she laughed slightly "He gave us some hand-outs; I haven't even looked at them yet. I didn't learn anything, I just sat there daydreaming for the first half of it then dying for a piss the other half of it. I'm going to be in shit for that. Half the time I didn't even know what he was banging on about"

"You wouldn't let me have a look at those hand-outs would you?" he asked hopefully.

"I think Mr Pryke brought some back for you actually. So you didn't miss out" she replied "He said he would"

He nodded and they headed out of the school grounds and went to the park for a while before heading their separate ways.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Sleepover and The Inevitable

As the weeks passed his friendship with them grew and developed. They became the best of friends, though they'd all been friends for years they accepted him and he became a fully-fledged member of their group. While Gabrielle and Georgie hung with together with some of the other girls in their year, they did prefer to hang with them. They were more like brothers and sister than friends, the original five. He got on really well with Gabrielle, she'd taken him under her wing when he'd started there. She was always willing to talk and sit with him at lunch. She made him feel wanted, but something did bother him a little about it but he couldn't put his finger on it. But while they were great friends he desperately missed Ron and Hermione. Then Patterson made an announcement. "I'm having a sleepover this weekend I know Kyle and Bobby are coming, Gabrielle can't make it. So are you two coming?"

"Yeah of course I'm coming" grinned Georgie

"You?" he asked Harry

"Yeah I'll be there" he nodded, anything to escape Uncle Vernon for just one night.

The week quickly passed and Saturday soon arrived. He packed some things into his school bag. He made his way downstairs and into the kitchen where his aunt and uncle were. "Erm. I was wondering if it would be ok if I could go to a sleepover at someone I go to school with' house" said Harry

"Who is this?" snarled uncle Vernon "Because you don't have friends. No one would be friends with a freak like you."

"Patterson" replied Harry trying to ignore his Uncle's cruel comments about people wanting to be friends with him.

"Is he a freak like you?" sneered uncle Vernon

"No he's not a freak like me" replied Harry "So is it ok?"

"No you can't go" said Uncle Vernon

"What?" Harry's face fell. He should've just left.

"You're not going boy" uncle Vernon spat "Now go back upstairs and stay there"

Harry left the kitchen but he didn't go back upstairs he went to the front door, opened it, went through it and ran off down the street. He didn't care if he got a beating when he got home he was just desperate to fit in and be a normal teenager, doing normal things that other people his age did.

He ran for a couple of streets before stopping. He walked the rest of the way there, it took an hour but he made it. Arriving he knocked on Patterson's door and he soon opened up. "Come on in Harry" he grinned "We're in the backroom chilling"

Harry followed Patterson through, leaving his bag in the hallway. Georgie, Bobby and Kyle were watching the huge TV and squabbling over a massive bowl of popcorn. "Hey guys Harry's here"

"Hi Harry" they all smiled

"We're watching this movie about some guys who get shot because these two idiots thought it would be a good idea. So you and I are picking the next movie" laughed Georgie

"Sounds good" smiled Harry.

They watched the end of the movie and riffled through Patterson's movie collection tossing them aside. Finally they chose Ghostbusters I and sat down to watch it. Having refilled their drinks and the enormous bowl of popcorn which seemed to have doubled in size they closed the curtains, flopped onto the cushions on the floor and hit play. After the movie they ordered out for some pizzas and talked while they waited for them to arrive.

"I can't believe your parents let you come" Harry remarked to Georgie "Here with four boys"

"Oh they know these guys so well. And they know my parents would break their necks if they tried anything I didn't like" smirked Georgie "Besides we're more like siblings than friends. We've known each for such a long time now"

Harry nodded, feeling somewhat dejected. He didn't know why. They'd accepted him so why did he feel slightly bitter. Perhaps it was because he'd never had friends at primary school and had two friends at Hogwarts and had left them behind. But then something came over him, a sense of relief, of happiness. He could have friends in the muggle world after all. He'd need them to survive the next two years, until he was seventeen and could leave the dursleys, surrey and go as far away as possible.

It wasn't too long before their pizzas arrived and they sat down to eat them. Each picking up a slice Patterson counted down from three… 3…2…1… go! They all shoved their slices into their mouths and took the biggest bite they could manage. Melted cheese and pepperoni fell everywhere. And the pizzas burned the insides of their mouths as they were practically flaming hot.

That night they all camped out in the humongous backroom of Patterson's house. They all told ghost stories, Harry used peeves and nearly headless nick in his. "He floated over the table and girl looked up at him and said: "Nearly headless, how can you be nearly headless?" he said "Like this" and pulled his head from his neck like opening a door. The girl grimaced and turned away."

"I would love to see that" Kyle proclaimed "If only ghosts like that were real"

"No that actually happened" Harry laughed.

"Bull crap!" said Georgie "Really?"

"Yes" Harry nodded. "It was hilariously scary and creepy"

"I bet it was!" she replied. "I would probably wet myself, scream my head off then run away like a terrified little girl if I saw that!"

They told jokes before finally going to sleep at four in the morning.

The next morning they played video games and cooked up a right weird concoction for breakfast. They laughed so much at what they had concocted. "And I thought some of my potions were bad!" harry laughed inside his head. They'd used waffles, chocolate sauce, strawberry sauce, golden syrup, several different flavours of jam, sugar, some bacon and ketchup. It was vile to say the least and most of it went straight into the bin. After which they sourced some cereal. It was the first time in a very long time he'd eaten breakfast. They stayed for lunch before they all left.

Georgie's mum, Louise gave him a lift back to privet drive. She was a really lovely woman. "You must be harry" she smiled "Georgie has told me lot's about you"

"She has?" his cheeks went red

"Yes" replied Louise "All good. When she told me I was like Georgie can't you have friends that are girls! But the boys she hangs out with are good lads, Patterson is a good lad definitely a bit mischievous but good-hearted."

"Mum" Georgie hissed

"Georgie told me about your parents. It's a very tragic thing" she said sympathetically "Least you've got your aunt and uncle"

Harry didn't say anything. He hated them. He didn't have them, they hated him. He stared at the floor of the car. "Are you ok Harry?" asked Georgie

"Yeah fine, just don't want to go home to them. They're just so boring" he said

It wasn't long before they arrived. "Thanks Mrs Flynn"

"No problem" she smiled

"Bye Georgie" he said

"Bye" she smiled. Before her mum hit the gas and the car moved away from the house.

The last thing he heard was Georgie shouting that she would see him at school the next day and he looked forward to it because he didn't look forward to going in that house. It occurred to him that Uncle Vernon might be so mad that he would snap and kill him and he may not see her at school the next day after all. After all he had disobeyed him, he deserved this didn't he?

Stomach churning he unlocked the door and went inside. As predicted uncle Vernon flew at him and shoved him against the front door. "YOU LITTLE SOD!" he roared spit flying at Harry's face. "I TOLD YOU NO!"

"Well guess what I didn't listen" replied Harry "You've been hitting and abusing ever since I got back and I thought I deserved to have a good time with my friends from school."

"YOU DON'T DESERVE ANYTHING!" Exploded uncle Vernon. Harry had seen him mad before but never this mad. "YOU DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE. YOUR PARENTS SHOULD'VE LET YOU DIE!"

"Oh that's it is it?" said Harry "Go on. Tarnish my parent's memory, their final dying act of love for me. Kick dirt at them and spit on them like you always have done"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH BOY!" He roared

Harry did shut his mouth, but what he had said was exactly what uncle Vernon had done. Saying he didn't deserve to live was disrespectful in more ways than one. Firstly it was very hurtful and secondly his parents had given their lives so he could live so by saying he didn't deserve to live was saying his parent's should've let Voldemort kill him. Disrespecting the final act of devotion and love towards their only son. And harry couldn't stand that.

Uncle Vernon let go of his shirt and moved back slightly. Harry took his chance and fled up the stairs but uncle Vernon pursed him. For a morbidly obese man he was incredibly fast. He stopped Harry from going into his bedroom to escape the beating he was about to receive. "I'M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU BOY!" He roared "NOWHERE NEAR FINISHED!" he grabbed harry and slung him against the wall.

"Get off me!" Harry cried trying to push him away. Uncle Vernon didn't relent and slapped him very hard around the face knocking his glasses off. Disorientated harry dropped his bag and continued to wrestle the corpulent man off him. Uncle Vernon was determined though and in the course of them wrestling he had hit harry no less than seven times around the face and stomach. Then they turned so Harry's back was towards the stairs. "Get off me you mad man!" Harry cried, knowing how close they were to the steps. He pushed him away. But Uncle Vernon made another grab for him but instead of grabbing him gave him a hefty shove that sent him tumbling down the stairs screaming. He bounced down the steps like a bouncy ball before landing in a heap at the bottom. He lay there in agony, too much pain to move for a moment.

He saw uncle Vernon heading towards him and managed to pull himself off the steps and into the hall but uncle Vernon quickly advanced on him. And he felt a deep searing pain on his back. Then again and again. He twisted his head to see uncle Vernon raise something brown above his head before slamming it down onto his back. It was a brown leather belt. A leather belt. He was whipping him like a donkey. With every agonising blow Harry howled a little bit louder. It was hell. "Stop" he cried "Please. Please stop" tears streamed down his cheeks.

Uncle Vernon did stop, a few minutes later. Harry dragged himself up to his room, pushed the door shut and flopped down on his bed. He couldn't lie on his back, he was in so much pain. Uncle Vernon had insistently whipped for over ten minutes. So he'd gone to a friend's house for a sleepover, it didn't warrant this. Or maybe it did. He deserved it. That's how he saw it.

He slept on his front but even that was agonising. What he really needed was madam Pomfrey from the hospital wing to treat his wounds with a spell or some potion. She was so caring and kind. He needed medical help but when he was in too much pain to even move that was impossible. His aunt wouldn't call for help. So he had to suffer it out.

The next day he was in too much pain to even get out of bed to go to school. He managed to get to the bathroom, where he examined his back. He looked at his back in the mirror, covered in deep welts and open wounds. Blood covered too. He took a shower but the water stung his back painfully.

He had to spend the next three days laid up because he was still in too much pain to move.

At school Gabrielle had decided to worry about harry and was expressing her feelings to her friends.

"Come on babe" said Zane "He's probably sick"

"I hate it when you use that word" said Kyle "It makes me sick"

"Maybe" said Gabrielle "Oh he worries me. He keeps coming into school with bruises. And remember the time after we went to the park and stayed there for ages? And then the next day he came to school with a black eye and a split lip."

"Yeah" said Patterson "I don't think someone jumped him either. He was so defensive about it"

"I know" sighed Georgie "If he doesn't come in tomorrow I'm going to go and see him"

"We'll all come with" said Kyle. They all nodded.

Little did the five friends know their new friend was currently laid up in bed barely able to move after being whipped for over ten minutes and shoved down the stairs by his own Uncle. They would've been horrified if they'd seen him on Sunday after the horrific beating.

The following day Uncle Vernon completely lost his temper. "IF YOU DON'T GET UP AND GO TO SCHOOL RIGHT NOW THE BEATING I GIVE YOU WILL BE TEN TIMES WORSE THAN THE LAST IS THAT CLEAR BOY?" He roared

"Yes" harry replied meekly. Through the pain he pulled himself out of his bed and made his way to the bathroom. Where he took a quick shower and had a wash and cleaned his teeth. Before going back to his room and getting ready for school. He went to the kitchen but… "Get out of my kitchen" aunt Petunia spat.

He did as he was told and left the house. He took the forty five minute walk to school very slowly, taking him nearly an hour. When he got to school he saw his friends and went over to them. "Harry!" smiled Gabrielle running over to him and throwing her arms around him causing him to winch quite significantly. "You're ok" then she heard him groan in pain. "Are you ok?"

"Yes" he lied. In truth her hugging had made his pain ten times worse than it had already been. "I'm ok. I had a cold"

"I was worried" she admitted. He looked at her, feeling so touched by her concern. "We all were"

"Yeah I was really worried too" admitted Georgie

Again they had P.E and harry knew had to sit this one out. He did not want them to see the deep welts that covered his back. So he came up with a fib to get out of P.E and it worked. He sat watching and thinking. He missed Ron and Hermione so much. He was thinking of writing to them but how could he tell them about what had happened to him? He couldn't, they would think he was weak. That he wasn't capable of defeating the dark lord. Or would they care? And not think he was weak? He was so torn up over it.

At the end of the day he went to the park with Georgie, Gabrielle, Patterson, Bobby and Kyle. They hung out for a while and he made an excuse to leave and go home so he didn't get another painful beating. "I have to go. My aunts doing dinner early because they're going out and if I don't get back I probably won't get any"

"Ok" nodded Patterson "See you tomorrow"

He nodded back to Patterson before turning around and leaving the park. He walked back to 4 Privet Drive and let himself in. He went straight upstairs and into his room. Though he was allowed to have some tea with them the portion size was ridiculously small and even with his scarce appetite, it didn't fill him up. He was still very hungry but he was not allowed near the fridge to get something else. So after he'd done the washing he went straight back upstairs and lifted up the loose floorboard and took out a packet of biscuits. He ate a couple before stuffing them back underneath the floorboard and putting it back in place.

As the days slid by the pain subsided but the welts struggled to heal. They were tender, very tender, to the touch. Georgie and Gabrielle noticed his constant discomfort as did the rest of their friends and they often asked him about it. But he could never bring himself to tell them about what had happened to him. Keeping it all to himself and pretending he was fine was Harry's way of coping. Well this wasn't coping, it was barely surviving. That's the way he'd always done it.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Worst Christmas Ever

The Christmas break was just a week off. Harry was dreading it. Though they had made some plans of things they were going do Harry dreaded having to be with the Dursleys. He had written to Ron his parents could not take him this year. He had been so disappointed, he had actually torn the letter up and stamped on it which had warranted a couple of slaps from uncle Vernon and the weekend locked in his room.

Just days to go Harry desperately tried to figure out to spend it anywhere but the Dursleys. He just didn't know what to do.

Then the day before the end of term uncle Vernon really lost it again and whipped him with the belt again. This beating was because Harry had tried to get some parchment and ink from his trunk to write back to Ron and write to Hermione. But uncle Vernon lost it. He threw him down and starting beating him with the belt. He didn't stop until harry was bleeding all over the carpet and screaming hysterically, tears pouring down his pale cheeks.

After the beating harry dragged himself upstairs and into bed. He didn't move until the next morning when he slowly got up and had a shower, which caused him a great deal of pain. Then he slowly, and carefully got dressed and headed to school. Georgie and Gabrielle noticed his extreme discomfort at the slightest touch. So Georgie, against the advice of Gabrielle, took him aside, well behind the sports hall where nowhere would see them, and asked him what was wrong. "Harry what's wrong. You been wincing at the slightest touch all day" she sighed

"I'm fine" he lied. He wasn't fine, maybe he should tell her. He had to tell somebody, get help.

"No you're not" she said sternly "I know you're not fine Harry Potter. Tell me what's wrong."

"Please Georgie don't make me do this" he pleaded with her

"Do what?" she frowned "Please Harry tell me what's going on"

"No" he looked down "I can't Georgie"

"Yes you can" she replied trying to sound reassuring to him. "Come on Harry, tell me what's wrong"

"No Georgie, can't tell you." He shook his head. He so embarrassed by it all. He couldn't stop uncle Vernon, a muggle beating him but he could fight off the most dangerous wizard of all time. It made him feel so utterly pathetic. And anyway he'd deserved those beatings, he'd asked for them by being him. The 'Boy Who Lived', a wizard, a freak show. And outrageously abnormal. "Just leave it"

Sighing she gave up, knowing she wasn't going to get it of him. It was a closed door with glue stuck between the frame and door itself so it would never open. Like the doors of his bedroom when he was being kept locked up for days on end. She looked at him, she knew something was wrong and it had something to do with the bruises that regularly appeared on his body. Georgie just didn't know.

They went back round to join the rest of their friends and the issue was dropped. For now. After the bell rung they all headed home for the holidays. And Harry had no idea how he was going to survive them.

The next day Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia left the house early in the morning to pick Dudley up from Smelting's, the boarding school he attended. They took him along because they simply did not trust him in the house even with six deadbolt locks on the door and bars on his window. They didn't talk to him, they barely conversed between themselves. Harry sat in the back arms folded watching the landscape changing as they headed to their destination. It was more interesting than staring aimlessly at his feet, at his tatty baseball shoes. He was in dire need of a new pair, the soles were coming away from the shoes altogether and they were riddled with holes. Finally they reached Smelting's. They drove through the grand gates and down the long winding path towards the assortment of large, grand and extensive buildings. Dudley had often boasted about how posh this place was, how it was probably definitely better than Hogwarts. It wasn't, it didn't come near the magnificent Hogwarts castle. The castle was grand with its original staircases and paintings that lined the walls. The great hall was perhaps the most magnificent room though, with its bewitched ceiling so it could accommodate events and seasons. Harry stared at the buildings they looked so dull and the grounds they sat in were just as dull. Compared to the Hogwarts grounds, which housed the forbidden forest, Hagrid's eccentric little hut and the quidditch pitch. It made this place look like a prison.

Uncle Vernon ordered him out of the car. "Get out and put Dudley's things in the boot" he snapped. Harry nodded and followed Uncle Vernon inside. He studied the inside, just as he'd imagined, dull, grey walls, and non-original staircase. "Snap out of it boy and get Dudley's things"

Harry snapped out of his daydream and made his way over to Dudley and his enormous trunk, it was larger than his Hogwarts trunk, so considerably heavier. He took the handle and started to tug it back outside. It was so heavy that he had to stop for a rest. But Uncle Vernon noticed and he started moving again. Then a teacher came across him as he was leaving. "You're not a pupil" she frowned

"No" he shook his head "My cousin is. This is his trunk"

"You shouldn't be dragging that around dear child" she said sweetly "You look much too weak to do so"

"I'm fine" he replied

"Your cousin?" she asked

"Dudley Dursley, Year eleven" said Harry

"My condolences" she said jokingly

"I must go" he said suddenly feeling really faint and somewhat queasy "I need to get this in my uncle's car before he kills me". She smiled and he headed to the car. He lifted the heavy trunk up and pushed it into the boot of the car.

He then went back for the rest of Dudley's things. Because he was too lazy and precious to carry anything himself. But Harry didn't complain, he should do but he didn't because complaining, even if he was in pain, would earn him another beating. Once he'd put all of Dudley's things in the boot he went to get in the car. He went to get in the side he'd sat in on the way but as he went to get it Dudley shoved him out of the way and down to the floor. "Get up!" hissed Uncle Vernon "How dare you make a scene here?"

Harry pulled himself to his feet and got in the other side. Dudley spent most of the journey taunting and baiting him. Throwing hurtful insults and telling him how great his school was and how he had his great friends, some he had known for years and that he'd never do anything bad enough to warrant being expelled. Then changed tactics saying Harry had deserved to be expelled and that he'd never had friends at the 'freak school'. Harry stewed and tried desperately not to say anything or retaliate. But he gave up because Dudley said something that pushed him too far. He stated that his parent's had both been loony's who had been put in the loony bin (mental hospital) and had met each other and had him, making him doubly loony so that's where he went. "Shut up Dudley!" he hissed. Dudley laughed loudly and punched him, hard in the shoulder which warranted a definite retaliation from Harry. Harry gave him shove but he didn't really move because he was so fat. Dudley punched him again and Harry lashed out verbally. "Leave me alone you fat git."

"Dad" smirked Dudley "Harry called me a fat git"

"Only because Dudley won't stop tormenting me and keeps punching me!" Harry defended.

"Don't lie boy" uncle Vernon spat.

"But I'm not" said Harry.

"You are" said Dudley, a grin slapped across his beefy face.

"Leave him Dudley, it's not worth your breath" snarled Uncle Vernon "And as for you boy, I'll deal with you when we get home".

Harry gulped, he knew exactly what that meant. A beating. Another one, another immensely painful beating. Yes Uncle Vernon slapped nearly every single day but when he really lost it the beatings were a hundred times, a thousand, times worse and a thousand times more painful. Just like the last one, whipped with the belt again. He was scarred for life.

First Uncle Vernon made Harry get all of Dudley's things out of the car and take them to the designated places e.g. the kitchen and Dudley's enormous bedroom. Then he told him to get to his room. Harry went there and sat himself down on his bed. He held his hands together and stared uncomfortably at the floor. Then he heard heavy thundering footsteps coming in his direction and felt his heart skip several beats. The large man entered the room and slammed the door behind him. Then the large man lost it. "HOW DARE YOU!" he roared "LAY ON THE FLOOR AT MY SONS SCHOOL? HOW DARE YOU MAKE A SCENE LIKE THAT?!"

"Dudley pushed me over" he replied meekly "I didn't do it on purpose"

"DON'T LIE TO ME" He thundered "YOU DID IT TO EMBARRASS AND HUMILIATE US BOY. TO MAKE A SCENE!"

"I'm sorry" he said in such a tiny and pathetic voice it made him feel like he deserved the violent beating that was heading his way.

"NO YOU'RE NOT" Yelled Uncle Vernon "IF YOU WERE, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE CALLED MY SON A FAT GIT!"

"Dudley was taunting me about being expelled from Hogwarts!" said Harry, feeling really angry with Uncle Vernon.

"DON'T SAY THAT WORD IN MY HOUSE!" He exploded, spraying Harry's face with spit. "AND IF YOU WERE SORRY YOU WOULDN'T HAVE BACKCHATTED ME IN THE CAR AND RIGHT HERE!"

"I am sorry" said Harry. Though he knew he wasn't he would do anything to stop him from giving him the beating of his life.

"YOU'RE NOT" Roared Uncle Vernon before grabbing his shirt and yanking him off the bed. He threw him at the wall, probably expecting him to fall to the floor, but he remained standing. So he launched himself at the fifteen year old boy, who didn't have time to get out of the way. He wrapped his hands around his neck and tried to strangle him. Harry clawed at his uncle's beefy arms with his fingernails, trying to get the man away from him. Harry Potter may have single handily taken on and won against Voldemort in June and he'd been terrified but right now he was single handily taking on a his uncle a muggle, and was even more terrified. This is what his uncle had reduced him to. Then he moved his hands from Harry's neck and threw him to the floor.

Harry backed away from him but he easily gained on him. And backed him against the wall. Harry had nowhere to run and his heart dropped right from his chest into an invisible shredder. The next thing he knew Uncle Vernon's shoed foot flew at his face and landed by his nose. This happened twice more then he kicked him in the stomach winding him badly. Until finally he was laying on the floor, curled up in agony. But he didn't leave it there. No he took his belt from his trousers and started hitting him with it.

Harry felt the searing hot pains as the leather belt hit and sliced through, his skin. He screamed in agony. He just wanted it to end. For it all to end. He wished he'd never born been at all. Soon he could feel blood flowing down his back and down into his jeans and soaking his shirt.

Uncle Vernon eventually stopped hitting him with the belt and stormed from the room locking the door, all six locks, behind him. Harry lay in the middle of the room, crying hysterically the pain worse than ever before. He was shaking violently, shaking and crying hysterically. This is what his own Uncle had done to him. Because his cousin had pushed him over then deliberately provoked him in the car. He should've risen above it, been the bigger man. He hadn't, he'd asked for this. He'd deserved it… hadn't he?

He remained curled up in a tight ball on the floor for the rest of the night, crying and staring at nothing. His mind replaying today's beating, over and over again. He could not sleep so he laid there, not moving, awake all night long.

Harry spent the next three days locked up in his bedroom, only given one cup of water and nothing else. He had some biscuits left over from his last imprisonment but they had gone a bit stale. But he ate them anyway.

Finally on Christmas morning uncle Vernon let him out. "Cook breakfast while Dudley opens his presents" hissed aunt Petunia "And try not burn anything"

"Yes" he nodded before basically hobbling into the kitchen. He did his best and they ate it but Dudley turned his nose up at it even though he ate it all.

Then uncle Vernon cornered him again. "Get upstairs, take a shower and sort your hair out" he spat "Or else I'll cut it all off"

"Yes uncle Vernon" he gulped before going straight upstairs. The hot water in the shower made the deep welts and lacerations on his back sting like crazy and spent most of the time scrubbing crying his eyes out in agony. He got out and carefully pulled his best clothes on then tried to tame his hair. He tried and tried but it would not got. He really had tried but it wouldn't do as it was told. Finally he went down stairs where uncle Vernon did two things. First he laid down the law. "You only speak when you're spoken to, you do exactly as you are told and you do not mention anything. ANYTHING, about _your kind" _he snarled. "I told you to sort your hair out!"

"I tried uncle Vernon but it wouldn't stay!" he replied. The next thing he knew uncle Vernon was yanking him into the kitchen by his hair. He forced him into a chair and rifled through the cutlery draw. He took a pair of scissors out and walked back over to Harry and took hold of his hair. He started snipping and chunks of Harry's hair fell to the carpet. He cut at it until there was nothing left, until he was basically bald. "Clean that up" he spat. Harry obeyed and hovered up all of his hair. The hair that had half an hour ago been on his head.

It wasn't too long before Mr and Mrs Dursley arrived. Uncle Vernon greeted them and called Harry down from his room. "Ah finally sorted the boy's appallingly scruffy hair out" said Mr Dursley, a harsh and cold smile on his face.

"Nothing a good hairdresser couldn't fix" smiled Uncle Vernon. Harry stared at him, an immense loathing for him burning deep within. No hairdresser had done this to him.

"It looks a million times better" he added.

"I don't think it suits him" said Mrs Dursley "I preferred him with more hair"

"So did I" agreed Harry "I can't wait until it grows back"

"Quiet boy" hissed Uncle Vernon

"Now, now Vernon" said Mrs Dursley "Don't be so mean to the boy. I didn't bring you up this way did I?"

"Very well" said Uncle Vernon "Do come through"

He led them into the living room and they sat while he had to remain standing, as per usual. While they talked his mind wandered off to his friends. He bet they were having far better Christmases than his, far better Christmas holidays than his. They were all so far away though. What he wouldn't give to see Ron and Hermione today. That would be the best present he'd ever gotten, well maybe expect his invisibility cloak.

Then the doorbell rang again. "Get the door boy" said Uncle Vernon

"Yes Uncle Vernon" replied Harry. He went out into the hall and pulled the front door open to see Aunt Marge on the other side. "Take my bags boy" she hissed thrusting them at him. He took them and put them carefully in the living room by the tree Dudley had carelessly decorated the day he'd gotten back from smelting's while he was being beaten upstairs.

Soon it was time for lunch and while Dudley, Uncle Vernon, Aunt Marge and Mr and Mrs Dursley sat down at the table Harry had to take all the bowls of steaming hot vegetables and the gravy boat, containing piping hot gravy over to the table. Then while they ate he also had to wait on their every want and need. So refiling wine glasses, refiling the gravy boat and fetching napkins. He picked away at his small portion. It was all he was allowed but he didn't even think he could manage it. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had actually discussed how much he would have when they thought he'd been upstairs. But he'd heard them. So he had just one piece and a small piece at that, of turkey, two small roast potatoes, four sprouts, two tiny and burnt, carrots and one small Yorkshire pudding. Whilst Dudley had five, no six pieces of turkey, at least seven potatoes, a large helping of sprouts and carrots and three Yorkshire puddings. He noticed Mrs Dursley watching him as he ate, more picked at, his food. "Is that all you're having dear?" she asked.

"Erm" Harry didn't know what to say to her. He had barely any appetite due to starvation at the hands of his aunt and uncle.

"You must eat something Harry" she said, she was the only one who actually gave two ticks, well at least one tick, about him. "You're very skinny"

"I know. I have appetite problems at the moment" replied Harry

"Yes the boy has been very sick with a tummy bug" said Uncle Vernon trying to cover up the fact he had been starving Harry on and off for the last four months, well the last fourteen years to be completely honest. "Only just getting better aren't you boy"

"Yes Uncle Vernon" Harry lied. Wishing he could tell her just what her son had been doing to him over the last four and half months. Because he hadn't been sick, he'd been repeatedly starved. "It was nasty"

"You've always been a skinny little thing" she commented. He looked at her, "well it's not like I choose to be or is actually my fault" he thought to himself "it's your sons fault. He made me this way. I'd love to be able to eat a roast with four potatoes, three pieces of meat, a decent helping of vegetables and two Yorkshires. But I can't. No not me. Not anymore. I'm a freak, I'm waste of space, I'm a punch bag and I've not eaten since Thursday"

"Snap out of it boy" he heard Aunt Marge's voice snap. He realised he must've gone into that trance like state again and zoned out while he had been wallowing and stewing. "Now. If the boy doesn't want to eat the food his loving aunt has so lovingly cooked for him then that's his decision. He's always been an ungrateful little brat haven't you boy"

Harry stared at her, now this he was not answering. Not in the name of merlin. She had badmouthed his parents enough and she had badmouthed him even more and badmouthing him now while his mind was somewhat fragmented from the constant stream of abuse was not a good idea as was liable to lose his temper and blow her up again. So he kept his mouth shut. But…

"Speak boy" hissed Uncle Vernon

"No I haven't" said Harry. Uncle Vernon glared viciously at him. He was getting it later, he knew it. So… "Yes I have"

They finished eating the main course then Aunt Petunia served up several desserts, a Christmas pudding, a strawberry gateau and a log roll. Dudley, who had eaten the entirety of his main course, with three extra potatoes and a fourth Yorkshire pudding, had a bit of each dessert. And not just little bits, huge bits. He crammed them into his mouth like a pig at a trough. Uncle Vernon wasn't much different. Nor were Aunt Marge or Mr Dursley. Mrs Dursley was different only having a healthy sized slice of Christmas pudding. Aunt Petunia didn't turn to him and ask what he wanted. Instead she cut herself a piece of strawberry gateau then cleared the desserts away. "Isn't Harry having any" asked Dudley. Harry was shocked Dudley had even asked this. He hated him… no wait he wanted his servings.

"No popkin" replied Aunt Petunia "He's still got a funny tummy. He can't eat anything like this"

"Can I have his helpings then?" asked Dudley

"Of course popkin" she smiled. Harry was enraged. Sure he wasn't really sure could eat any dessert but it still wasn't fair not to even be offered any then have your share given to someone else who clearly didn't need the fats nowhere near as much as he did. Watching them eat his anger only rose and he stewed. But something else crept through his body and it was overwhelming. Watching them stuff their faces, with what was now their second helpings, was making him feel so nauseous. He felt completely and utterly nauseous, like he was about to throw up everywhere. So he stood up and went to leave the kitchen. "Where are you going boy?" Uncle Vernon's voice snarled

"To the toilet to throw up my lunch" he replied truthfully forcing the vomit down his throat.

"Sit down boy and don't be so utterly disrespectful" he spat.

"But I'm going to be sick Uncle Vernon I'm not lying" said Harry "I can't hold it down"

"Sit down now!" Mr Dursley snapped, he was just like his son. But Harry had to throw up and no matter what they said they couldn't change that. Feeling it rising in his throat he turned around and ran as fast as he could up the stairs, and into the bathroom, locking the door behind him. He barely made it time. Seconds after getting in there in violently vomited into the bowl. He fell to his knees and clung to his stomach. He violently vomited several more times before resting against the wall next to the toilet and letting a few tears escape his eyes. Then footsteps came up the steps and someone rapped on the door. "Come out now boy" it was Uncle Vernon's father. Shakily he stood up, flushed the toilet, took some of Aunt Petunia's air freshener and sprayed it about before leaving. He went back down stairs where uncle Vernon told him to do all the washing up, wiping up and clearing away while they all watched '_Miracle on 34__th__ Street'. _But there was no point in complaining and besides he could hear the movie even if he couldn't watch it with his eyes. He spent nearly an hour washing, wiping and putting away. Finally when was done he went into the main room. There was nowhere to sit so he decided he would go up to his room and sit awhile. Muse. Perhaps seeing as they were distracted he get into the cupboard and get some of his books out. So he wasn't going back that didn't mean he couldn't learn. And anyway he'd finished reading the one Hermione had sent him. He needed new material and more parchment and a new ink pot. He couldn't tear his schoolbooks again because last time uncle Vernon had caught him doing so and had locked him in his room for the entire weekend with no food and half a jar of water. He went to leave the room but a voice stopped him. "Where are you going boy?"

"Upstairs" he replied "I would like to go and have a lie down on bed and have a nap"

"No. it's presents" Uncle Vernon said coldly. "Sit down there"

So harry sat down at watched as aunt marge and Mr and Mrs Dursley plied Dudley with present after present. Harry was so jealous, actually no he wasn't, not anymore. He grown up with this, he was used to it. It didn't hurt anymore. It hadn't hurt for years. True he'd spent the last couple of years at Hogwarts or with the weasley's, but he'd still had ten Christmases with them, ten years of getting nothing. He had gotten used to expecting nothing. Just like he'd gotten used to looking after himself and raising himself. He remembered that while Dudley had, had help from both of his parents, he'd had none from his aunt and uncle, even when he'd asked. He'd had to do his best all on his own and even when he did better than Dudley, coming top of his class because unlike Dudley he paid attention in class, (back then he had), they'd praised Dudley's awful, bottom of the class grades and ignored his achievements. No wonder he lacked in self-confidence. He gotten used to expecting absolutely nothing from anyone. Because for ten years of his life no one had cared about him. And now it was that way again.

As Dudley tore through his presents the doorbell started ringing. "Get that boy" Uncle Vernon ordered in his direction. Sighing he got to his feet and went to answer the door. Reaching it he pulled it open and was a bit shocked to see who was on the other side. "Gabrielle?"

"Hey Harry" she smiled "Can I come in?"

"I guess" he replied letting her in. After she came inside he closed the door and she took off her shoes and hung her coat over the banister. "What happened to all your hair?"

"Dudley shaved it off while I was sleeping" he lied "He thought it would be funny. Hopefully it will grow back quickly"

Then she handed him a small parcel. "It's nothing major" she shrugged. He opened it and found a book. _"The 100 Best Defensive Spells and Skills Every Wizard Should Know"_

"Where did you get this?" he asked

"Flourish and Botts" she replied. "In Diagon Alley. Don't tell me you don't know where that is"

"I do" he replied "So wait a minute. I'm trying to wrap my brain around this one. So you're a what a squib?"

"No I'm a witch, half-blood I think" she replied

"Boy who are you talking to?" a voice shouted "Come in here"

"We should go in there before he loses his rag. His temper is only this big" he gestured with his fingers. "By the way he looks like a beetroot crossed with a potato"

"That's a weird image" laughed Gabrielle before they went into the room.

"Who's she?" Dudley asked rudely pausing from ripping open present upon present. "Why's she here?"

"Well you're very polite aren't you?" Gabrielle said sarcastically in Dudley's direction "I must remember to be very polite to you". Harry couldn't help but laugh. She was fantastically sarcastic today. There was something about her that didn't quite add up though.

"Who are you?" Dudley demanded.

"My name is Gabrielle summers" replied Gabrielle "I got to school with your cousin"

"You're his friend?" asked Dudley, sounding very surprised.

"Yes" she shrugged "Nothing wrong with that" Dudley simply laughed and returned to opening presents. He and Gabrielle sat down in his corner and flicked through the book she had given him.

He'd lost count of how many presents Dudley had been given now. "Next one!" he said like he was five.

"No Dudley you've had lots" replied Mrs Dursley give him a frim look before casting her gaze to Harry and relaxing her expression. "I think Harry deserves his"

Harry looked up from his book and his mouth fell open. They had gotten him things before, socks that had been far too big and biscuits he hadn't been allowed to eat. But they hadn't gotten him anything since he was six years old. So why change the habit now. She reached into her bag and took a box out. Harry looked at it, it was a shoe box. He stood up and went over to her out of respect as she was quite old now, eighty one if he was correct. She handed the box to him and smiled "I hope you like them"

"Thank you" he smiled taking the box in his hands. He lifted the lid up and saw a pair of navy baseball boots like the ones he had. Only in much better condition. He had seen these in the discount sports shop in town, so he knew they had only cost five muggle pounds. But he loved them, it didn't matter. He wasn't their grandson, not really a relation. It was the thought that counted because he'd been in dire a need of a new pair. "How did you know?"

"I saw your trainers last we visited" she replied "I thought these would be perfect for you"

"They are thank-"

"Presents" Dudley cut over him.

Suddenly all the attention returned to Dudley and he got several more presents. They put another movie on and Harry decided to go up to his room with Gabrielle. When they got there, there was a brown owl sitting on the window ledge. Harry recognised the owl as Errol, the weasley's owl and let him in. he had a package attached to his leg. So he carefully untied it and gave Errol an owl treat. He unwrapped the package to find a photo frame with a picture in. he looked at the picture, he could see his mum and dad, Sirius, Remus Lupin, Mad-Eye Moody and Neville's parents. He opened the letter and read it. It turned out the picture in the frame was a picture of the original Order of the Phoenix, set up by Dumbledore when they had first fought you know who. And Sirius had sent it. He stared at the picture and looked at his parents smiling faces wishing he could see those smiles in person. He placed in on his bed side table next to the picture of his parents. Well where it sat because Gabrielle was holding in her hands. "They look so in love" she smiled.

"Yeah" he sighed "I wish they were still here"

But then after an hour Gabrielle told him she needed to go home so he decided he needed fresh air and said he would walk her home which she agreed to. So he put his new trainers on and went downstairs. He pulled his coat on and went into the living room. "Aunt Petunia I was wondering what time you'll be doing tea?" he asked carefully.

"Seven o'clock" she replied

"Why?" asked Uncle Vernon

"I was going to go for a walk and walk Gabrielle home" replied Harry "To clear my head"

"Very well" said Uncle Vernon. Harry sighed with relief and left the house with Gabrielle. He pulled both his hoods on to keep his bald head warm. He walked down Privet drive, through wisteria walk and out onto Mongolia crescent. After walking her to her house he headed for the park, hoping to sit on the swing and sit for a bit. When he got there, there was already someone else sitting on one of the swings. A girl. He went over and he soon recognised her as Georgie. "Hey Georgie" he said

"Hey Harry" she smiled looking up from her book. "What are you doing here?"

"I just escaped" he joked "Nah Gabrielle came round and I walked her home. But I don't want to go back yet. My Uncles parents and sister are there. We don't get on so it's probably best I stay away. You?"

"It's very noisy in my house." She laughed closing her book "My big brothers teasing my little brother and sisters. Two brothers, two sisters. And there's dads mum and mums parents and aunt somebody and her two children. My god it's just heaving with people and noise. I had to get away before I went mad and had to be committed"

"Rather be there than my house. Jesus I could kill Dudley. He would barley let me have my present before jumping down his grans throat for his next present" said Harry, feeling rather bitter about that. "Get anything nice?"

"A couple of tops and a couple of books, not Jamestown trilogy though" she replied "Oh and we got a joint game. Gran gave me this massive box of bits to make my own jewellery. I'm not sure I'm really going to use that. I don't really do jewellery. You?"

"These" he nodded down to his shoes "And my godfather sent me a picture of him, my parents and some of their friends."

"What else?" she asked

"Nothing just these" he replied, feeling really embarrassed. "I told you my aunt and uncle don't much care for me and I don't get on with my uncles sister or his parents. His mum got these for me though. That's all I got this year"

"You must be kidding me?" she laughed

"No" he shook his head

"What about your cousin?" she asked

"So many I've lost count, it's got to be over a hundred now." He replied laughing.

"Don't you feel jealous?" she frowned

"No, I'm used to it" he shrugged "They've never gotten me Christmas presents. When I was… one year they gave me a toothpick and another year they gave me 50p. That's about it. I'm used to getting nothing. I've learned to expect it. It doesn't hurt anymore."

She looked at him, that wasn't exactly a nice thing to hear. One being his cousin had, he had said getting on for a hundred presents and he'd gotten two, a pair of five pound trainers and a picture of his parents. Two he'd learned to expect nothing. And the fact that he had told her, 'it doesn't hurt anymore'. That meant he was more than used to it. Sighing she changed the topic. "You didn't come on Saturday. You missed out on such a good time. Patterson oh my god you've should've seen him" she was trying her hardest not to laugh. On Saturday they had planned to go for a pizza and see a movie then go skateboarding. "He did this flip thing and landed like a beached whale on the floor. Then walked into a lamppost and a couple of old ladies. We all nearly pissed ourselves with laughter at the movie and Bobby dropped his expensive meat feast pizza all over the floor in the pizza place. We got kicked out of there"

"Sounds like it was really fun" he sighed heavily looking down at his feet.

"Why didn't you come?" she asked

"Something came up, we went to visit some distant relatives" he lied. No he had been locked in his room recovering from his uncles violent beating two days earlier. But she didn't need to know that.

"Anyway you're still all coming round to mine on the twenty eighth, we can have a laugh then." He looked at her. "Yeah if I'm not covered in fresh welts and bruises and being kept prisoner in my room" he thought darkly.

"Of course" he faked a smile

They sat and talked for ages. He kept his hoods up so she didn't see he was now bald, because hopefully it would grow back by the morning, it usually did. He left at ten to, though it only took him five minutes to get home from the park. He let himself in and went into the kitchen. They were all sat down at the table eating to their hearts content. He checked his watch, it was just before seven and she'd said seven. He went over to sit down but Uncle Vernon stopped. "No boy you're an hour late. You don't get any"

"But you said seven" he replied

"No six" said Uncle Vernon

"You said seven" he said, suddenly feeling so angry.

"Tough. Go and sit in the corner now" he spat.

"No Harry" said Mrs Dursley "You give the poor boy some food. He's anorexic already"

"I'm his guardian" Uncle Vernon seethed "He gets nothing. Now go and sit in the corner boy!" Harry sat himself down in the corner and watched as they ate. Dudley deliberately slapped his lips to make him jealous and somewhat nauseous. When they were done, after mince pies and more desserts, they made him wash up while they went into the living room to watch a third movie. While they were in there, now pretty hungry he sneaked some sausage rolls into his pocket and stuffed a leftover sandwich into his mouth. He stuffed a couple of them in his pocket too. When he was done he went upstairs and ate them quickly. Three sausage rolls and two triangles, that had been a four triangle sandwich, filled him right up. Though this probably had something to do with his lack of appetite.

Uncle Vernon called him down to say goodbye to his parents and aunt marge. He thanked Mrs Dursley for his brand new trainers again before they left. The moment that door closed uncle Vernon unleashed utter hell on him…


End file.
